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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. ERIGSSON, Deod.

G. H. Ronmson 8n G. S, BUSHNELL, Executors, G. H. ROBINSON Sole Surviving Executor. MEANS FOR THROWING PROJEOTILES. No. 561,954. Patented June 9, 1896.

TWIIIWIIIIWJJFLJ l L L L a UIJ'IIJIIHIII AN DR J. ERIGSSON', Decd.

" f; Romuson & G. S. BUSHNELL, Executors; G. H. Rosmsow Sole Surviving Executor.

mans FOR THROWING PROJBGTILES. ;No. 56l,954. PatentedJuneQ, 1896-.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE II. ROBINSON AND CORNELIUS S. BUSHNELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., EXEOUTORS OF JOHN ERIOSSON, DECEASED; SAID GEORGE II. ROBINSON SOLE SURVIVING EXEOUTOR.

MEANS FOR THROWING PROJECTILES.

SPECIFICATION iorming part of Letters Patent No. 561,954, dated June 9, 1896. Application filed October 3, 1889. Serial No. 325,937. [No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.- rcsenis a central vertical longitudinal section 50 Be it known that JOHN ERICSSON, deceased, of a portion of the vessel and of certain of late of the city, county, and State of New the appliances for carrying out the invention York, invented a new and useful Improveon a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan 5 ment in Means for Throwing Projectiles of the gun or discharging tube or barrel and Charged with Explosives which Ignite by some of its appurtenances. Fig. 4: represents 55 Concussion, of which the following is a specia vertical section of the vessel and certain of fication, reference being had to the accompathe appliances for carrying out the invention, nying drawings. taken in the plane indicated by the line y y IO Thisimprovementisintended for the throwof Figs. 1 and 2.

ing of projectiles which contain a bursting Similar letters of reference designate come 60 charge consisting of an explosive, such as sponding parts in all the figures. dynamite, which is easily ignited or exploded A designates a portion of the hull of a naviby concussion without requiring to receive a gable vessel. B designates a gun or dischargspark from any other source or to be subject ing barrel or tube placed within the said vesto the percussion of another body striking it sel. This gun, barrel, or tube is represented 6 5 or to percussion by the striking of the probelow the water-line, not because it is necesjectile against another body. sarily so arranged, but because in the in- Irior to this invention all attempts to disventors actual test of the invention it has charge or project such explosive projectiles been so arranged. It is shown as supported from guns with force sufficient to impel them at a a on the keelson, and is held by recoil- 70 to and against an object of attack at any conrods 2') (see Fig. 8) to plates 0 c, which are siderable distance have been unsuccessful fastened to the hull. This gun, barrel, or owing to the liability of their bursting charges tube is represented as having its muzzle,

2 5 to be exploded before the projectile left the which projects from the vessel, fitted with a gun by the concussion of the particles of said valve O to exclude water; but this valve 7 5 charge between themselves and against the forms no part of the present invention. The walls of the cavity which contain them withrear portion of the gun, barrel, or tube B is in the projectile. The object of this improvefitted with a plunger or piston D, in front of ment is to overcome and prevcntsuch liabilwhich the projectile E is to be placed, and

ity to premature explosion. its breech is represented as fitted with a sepa- Sc In carrying out the said improvement there rate breech-piece F, which is removable for is employed as the discharging agent in the the purpose of introducing the projectile and gun, barrel, or tube from which the explosive the plunger D through the breech.

3 5 projectile is discharged or projected an aeri- G designates a reservoir arranged within form body, as common air, mechanically comthe vessel A near the gun or barrel B. 85 pressed to a degree sufficient to give the de- H designates an air-compressor within the sired impulse without at the same time provessel A, having its discharge-pipe I conducing in the explosive charge sufiicient connected with said reservoir.

0 cussion to cause its explosion. J K L designate a motor, represented as a The invention consists in the means heresteam-engine, within the vessel for driving 0 inafter described and claimed for the emthe said compressor for the compression of ployment of a compressed aeriform body for air to be delivered into the reservoir Gthrough throwing explosive projectiles. the pipe I.

Figure l in the drawings represents a cen- M designates a passage or communication tral longitudinal sectional view of a portion between the reservoir G and an opening m, 5 of a navigable vessel, in which is an apparatus provided in the gun or barrel near the breech for carrying out the invention, with a gun thereof. This passage terminates within the arranged below the water-line. Fig. 2 rep reservoir in the valve-box N, in which are the seats of a double'headed balanced puppetvalve 0, by the opening of which compressed air is allowed to pass from the reservoir G- into the gun or barrel B in rear of the plunger or piston D. This valve may be opened and closed by any suitable means; but a handgear is represented for effecting the said opening and closing, the said hand-gear consisting of a shaft 6, furnished with a crank f, and a forked rod g, which connects the said crank with the stem h of the valve. The said shaft 6 is supported at one end in a standard 1', erected upon the valve-boXN and supported near its other end, which passes through the end of the reservoir G, in. a stufiing-boxj, outside of which it is furnished with a hand-lever 7:, by which it is manipulated.

In Fig. 2 the train of rods Z Z for operating the valve C is shown as intended to be actuated by compressed air from the reservoir G, admitted by avalve n to a cylinder 19, which contains a piston (1, connected. with the said train of rods. In Fig. 3 a hand-lever r is shown for operating the said rods Z.

The gun having had the projectile inserted into it through the open breech followed by the plunger D, and the breech having been closed up tightly by the breech-piece F, the valve 0 is opened just long enough to allow a sufficient quantity of compressed air from the reservoir G to enter the gun behind the plunger and is quickly closed. The expansion of the compressed air in the gun behind the projectile then discharges the latter with sufficient force yet so gradually as to avoid dangerous concussion of the explosive charge which it contains.

The method of throwing projectiles herein described is the subject of application for United States Patent, Serial No. $12,864:, filed June 1, 1889.

hat we claim as the invention of J OHN ERIGssON, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a gun and a projectile charged with an explosive which is ignitible by concussion, of a reservoirfor containing an aeri'form body at a high pressure, a compressor, a motor for working said compressor, a passage between the reservoir and gun, and a balanced valve arranged in the reservoir controlling said passage, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination with a gun and a m j ectile charged with an explosive which is i gnitible by concussion, of a reservoir for containing an aeriform bodyat a high pressure a passage connecting the reservoir with the gun and extending into the reservoir, a balanced valve arranged in the reservoir controlling said passage, and means for operating the valve from outside the reservoir, substantially as described.

GEORGE ll. ROBINSON, CORNELIUS S. BUSHNELL, Executors of John- Ericsso'n, deceased.

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FREDK. HAvNEs, J ornv BICKET. 

